[Peace-discuss] Letter to our senators, representative

[Morton K.Brussel]

Sounds like an excellent idea, although my guess is that it will be 
either ignored, or a form letter which doesn't answer the questions 
posed will be returned. count me in--mkb
On Mar 16, 2005, at 7:16 PM, C. G. Estabrook wrote:

> [I suggest as an agenda item for Sunday that a letter of this sort be 
> sent
> in AWARE's name to Durbin, Obama, and Johnson. --CGE]
>   	
> 	Published on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 by CommonDreams.org
> 	Filling the Congressional Cop-Out Gap
> 	An Idea for Local Peace Groups and Local Peace Activists
> 	by Ralph Nader
>
> Dear Member of Congress (Representative and two Senators):
>
> According to a Harris poll last month, 59 percent of Americans want US
> troops brought home within the next year. We are among them. You are 
> not
> listening to us. Here is what we propose: To meet with you in a public
> auditorium with the media invited on [insert date]_ when you say you 
> will
> back in your state (district). We wish to discuss specifically with you
> the following issues:
>
> 1. Do you support continued funding of the Iraq War and occupation 
> without
> a specific exit strategy and timetable?
>
> 2. Will you announce an exit strategy for Iraq?
>
> 3. Will you investigate contracting abuses found by DoD auditors 
> regarding
> the reconstruction of Iraq?
>
> 4. Will you investigate the $9 billion dollars unaccounted for in the
> Coalition Provisional Authority budget in Iraq?
>
> 5. How will you hold President Bush accountable to Congress?
>
> If we do not hear favorably from you within a week of your receipt of 
> this
> email (or letter or fax), we will double the number of signatures and
> renew the request.
>
> If one week later we do not hear from you, we will again double the 
> number
> of signatures and present some of us at your local office so you and 
> your
> staff can meet your constituents.
>
> If a week later we do not hear from you, we will peacefully and 
> diligently
> street march in front of your local office to secure your attention.
>
> You have often said how much you want to enjoy hearing from your
> constituents -- well, here we are. Please do not take this as a hostile
> message; rather it is an effort to indicate to you the serious urgency 
> we
> take to ending the occupation of Iraq and bringing U.S. troops home as
> soon as possible. Civilians, little children and soldiers are dying or
> being seriously injured every day.
>
> In the meantime, we would appreciate answers to the following 
> questions:
>
> 1. Do you have a summary of Paul Bremer's vast directives which are 
> still
> the governing authority of Iraq? These include extending Saddam's ban 
> on
> trade union organizing and allow a U.S. takeover of Iraq businesses.
>
> 2. Have you protested to President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld that 
> they
> do not officially disclose the injuries to our troops there, diseases 
> and
> severe mental trauma when they do not occur in combat situations - 
> even if
> they are evacuated from Iraq? If yes, send us a copy of your letter. If
> not, why not?
>
> 3. Will you sign a simple pledge that henceforth you will vote against 
> any
> attack on another nation unless Congress itself declares war as 
> required
> by the U.S. Constitution? See: The United States Constitution's War 
> Powers
> Clause, Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11.
>
> 4. Finally, would you propose a very selective service draft just for 
> the
> children of members of Congress? The purpose of this request is that 
> such
> a draft will focus the responsible attention on members of Congress in
> terms of realistic risks and consequences from the initiation of 
> military
> hostilities.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> (signed by a group of constituents)
>
> cc: members of the press and many other interested parties
>
> Why don't you and your local anti-war advocates try this out today. The
> sooner we get serious about pressuring Congress, the sooner the war and
> occupation of Iraq, the sooner the killing will stop, the sooner our
> troops will come home.
>
> [Ralph Nader is a noted consumer advocate who has worked a wide range 
> of
> issues including opposing the Iraq War. The column above is based on a
> blog published on DemocracyRising.US. Comments on this blog are 
> welcomed
> on the site.]
>
>
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